Article of manufacture for reinforcing an article of apparel



1 ML KATZENSTEIN 2,

ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR REINFORCING AN ARTICLE OF APPAREL- Filed Feb. '7, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 14, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR REIN- FORCING AN ARTICLE OF APPAREL Max Katzenstein, New York, N. Y.

Application February 7, 1944, Serial No. 521,380

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an article of manufacture and more particularly to one that is to be affixed to fabrics or the like, such as stockings, to reinforce them whereat they may be fastened or clasped by a holding means, such as a garter or hose supporter.

Conventional stockings, for example, are knitted from different yarns or threads, such as silk, nylon, rayon and cotton and of whatever yarn or thread used or whether they are sheer or not are relatively not a strong fabric or textile.

Stockings, therefore, when subjected to strain or tension of any kind, imposed by wearing them, may break at a weakened yarn or thread, causing a run to develop in the stocking.

This is a source of great inconvenience and annoyance since the stockings develop an unsightly appearance because of this and must be then discarded, though this may not be feasible at the time the run has occurred.

At any event, this characteristic makes stockings a comparatively expensive article of apparel, particularly the more costly, sheen-comparatively weak stocking.

When Worn, particularly to enhance their appearance, stockings are drawn taut and anchored in position on the leg by means of garter clasps, usually two or three spaced about the leg, and extending from a girdle, corset or garter belt.

These clasps or fastening means place an undue strain on the yarns or threads at and leading to that part of the stocking to which they are affixed. It has been found in the art that it was in these parts that runs most frequently developed.

Stocking manufacturers, in an effort to overcome this, manufacture stockings with a heavy reinforced web, hem or top, also knitted from the same yarn or thread as is the sheerer body of the stocking, which web or hem is positioned at the very top of the stocking, and hidden by the garment worn and therefore not seen.

This, however, does not overcome the damaging effect, which causes runs, of the garter clasp or fastener, because that stocking construction merely transferred the strain to the yarn or thread at the line where the garter top and sheerer body of the stocking are joined, which is sometimes referred to as the garter line.- 1

It has been found that runs will probably develop, at, the garter line along approximately .the yarns-or threads immediately below the garter clasp; or fastener to which the wearer has sepuredthe stocking topor hem. l

The present invention contemplates the provision of a means which may be readily secured to a stocking top to strengthen and reinforce both that part of the top surrounding and to which the garter clasp or fastener is secured or anchored and the garter line directly therebelow.

The invention further contemplates the provision of such a reinforcing means which when affixed to the fabric substantially becomes an integral part of it.

Stockings are not custom made (that is, made to the order of the wearer), but rather are manufactured-in quantity and mass production. They are therefore made and purchased in standard sizes and lengths, which nevertheless for different individuals, because of the human diverse body characteristics, are not the same. As a result, even with a selected standard size, the garter clasp or fastener, is secured to the stocking top at different positions thereon below the upper edge of stocking that are dependent upon the length and size of the wearers leg.

The present invention, therefore, still further contemplates the provision of a stocking reinforcing means of such construction that irrespective of the leg length of the wearer, and therefore the position of the clasp on the stocking top that may be required to accommodate the stocking to the wearer, there will be a strengthened reinforced anchoring position for the garter wherever needed.

All stockings of whatever material made, but more particularly rayon stockings, stretch with wear so that the position at which the garter clasp or fastener is secured to the garter top approaches the garter line, as stretching thereof increases the length of the stocking in order to keep it taut on the leg.

The reinforcing means here contemplated also provides a plurality of clasp or fastener anchoring positions extending through the length of the garter top so that, as the stocking is stretched during wear, the reinforcing means in effect becomes adjustable with the increasing length of the stocking.

These and other objects, advantages and uses of thepresent invention will be clearv from the description which follows and the drawing aply broken away to condense the drawing, and to which the article has been attached.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fi 4 is a fragmentary view showing a garter clasp or fastener anchored to a stocking top or web to which the article has been attached.

Fig. 5 is a View on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the article of manufacture I 0, here contemplated, is made from any suitable, preferably closely woven or knitted textile, and is coated on its rear face with a ther-.

moplastic cementitious material, which is preferably thermo-setting upon reaching a cementing temperature compatible with the fabric to which the article is attached.

Examples of thermoplastic cementitious materials that may be used in the practice of my invention are Vinylite, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate or ethyl cellulose, it being understood that whatever material is used it should be suitable for the fabric to which the article of the present invention is to be affixed.

It is also to be understood that the backing (textile) for the cementitious material may be eliminated and just a film of the thermoplastic alone, constructed as hereinbelow described, may

be used for the purpose here concerned with.

At the centre of the article of manufacture I0, I preferably provide the square opening I2, which if desired forms the straps [4, which fit over the edge E6 of the web or garter top l8-of the stocking 20. v

The square opening and straps divide the article it into the complemental parts 22 and 24, in each of which the openings 26 and 28 are cut.

The article is placed on the stocking-with one of the complemental parts 24 :at the front of the garter top and the other complemental part 22 at the rear of the garter top in registration and alignment with the first complemental part 24.

The opening [2 and the thereby formed straps it save not only the use of unnecessary material but also serve to select the line about which the article of manufacture is folded, so that when it is affixed to the stocking to strengthen or reinforce it, each opening 26 is aligned with its cor responding opening 28, for the purposes that I will point out below. The openings in each complemental part are equally spaced from each other and the fold line and the end of each complemental part.

The conventional garter clasp (Figs. 4 and comprises a fabric backing 30 for an anchor member, the nose 32 of which is pushed or pressed out against the top of the stocking from the inside thereof.

Thus the nose forces or pushes out a part of the stocking 34, which, is thereby draped about the nose 32 (see Fig. 5).

The hook clasp 36 of the garter frictionally catches that part 34 of the stocking top under the button 32 where it is gathered and grasped between the hook 36and the nose stem 49.

I This both distorts that part of the stocking 34, caught in the clasp, and because of the tension to which the garter top is subjected places an undue strain upon it and particularly on the yarns or threads which connect the sheerer body portion of the stocking to the garter top at the garter line.

. In application, a strengthening means such as the articleof manufacture l0, according to my invention, is"afiixed to the stocking in such positionon' the garter top thereof that it will be aligned with a clasp or fastener extending from a girdle, garter belt or the like (the garments not shown) by means of a hot iron, the temperature of which is not sufliciently high to damage the stocking (or other fabric) but high enough to cause the oementitio-us material used to flow into and be integrated'with the stocking or article of apparel to which the article is affixed.

This permanently secures the strengthening article to bothsides of the stocking, the thermoplastic cement fiowing into the interstices thereof and the cementitious material on one complemental part meeting and integrating with the oementitious material on the other complemental part. This most readily occurs where a comparatively sheer fabric, such as a stocking, is used.

For each individual, the position of each garter about the-leg of the wearer does not change and therefore the strengthening or reinforcing article of manufacture for each garter clasp becomes a permanent fixture to the stocking, which because of the preferred thermoplastic or thermosetting cementitious material used, will not separate from thestocking when the latter is washed or subjected to a cleaning process.

To secure the strengthened stocking in position on the wearer, the nose or button 32 of the garter is pushed into the properly positioned housing therefor, formed by aligned openings 26 and 28, which are made large enough to accommodate the conventional garter nose or button.

That portion of the stocking caught between the clasp and the nose, is thus completely surrounded on each side of the stocking by a strengthening band of material and the thermoplastic or thermosetting cement carried thereon. Therefore anystrain on that part ofthe stocking gathered in the garter must be transferred from the threads or yarns forming it to the strengthening or reinforcing article thereby to prevent the development of runs at that point b any possible break thereat in a yarn or thread.

As previously pointed out, runs very often occur at that portion of the garter line 42 below 'the point where the garter gathers the stocking.

In order to overcome the possibility of such happening,'I prefer to make the article of manufacture I!) of such dimensions that each complemental part extends somewhat beyond the garter line 42, which at any event is above the hem of the wearers garment, to provide at it (the garter line) the strengthening tabs 44 and 46 below the lowermost openings 26 and 28. These tabs also strengthen the garter line at that portion where strain imposed by the garter clasp may be directed and therefore where runs may develop or occur.

As also pointed out, stockings, most particularly rayon, stretch with wear. As a result, after a stocking stretches, position A (Fig. 2) which was originally used will be too high on the wearer to hold the stocking satisfactorily taut. With the present invention, however, there is provided on the stocking a plurality of strengthened garter clasping positions, A, B, C and D, vertically spaced from the top edge to the garter line 42. It will, of course, be understood, that while I have illustrated an article of manufacture according to my invention, as provided with four openings on each complemental part, any greater or lesser number may be provided if desired.

Thus, should the stocking stretch so that the strengthened garter position A is no longer us.- able, the wearer can then use position Band thereafter, if necessary, in succession positions C and D.

It will now be recognized that by this construction, a stocking that is too long for the wearer though of proper size, may nevertheless be adjusted at the stocking hem, top or web, as is customary, and yet at any adjusted position present a strengthened garter clasp position, thus providing a reinforcing article of manufacture that is universally applicable to any stocking size, irrespective of the body characteristic of the wearer or the length of the stocking.

While I have shown in detail one embodiment of my invention, I do not intend to be limited thereto but wish to claim my invention as broadly as the scope of the prior art and the appended claims permit.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of material coated on one face thereof with a thermo-plastic cementitious material that is rendered cementitious by a hot iron applied to the strip of material, said strip of material having an opening at the intermediate part thereof forming straps connecting two complemental parts extending in opposite directions away from the intermediate part, said article of manufacture for application to a stocking at the top edge thereof by impregnating the stocking with the thermoplastic cement under the application of a hot iron, each complemental part having a plurality of spaced openings, one complemental part to be afiixed to the outside of the stocking and the other complemental part to be affixed to the inside of the stocking with the complemental parts, the straps and the openings in registration with each other, the material of the stocking exposed through the openings and the material of the stocking surrounding the openings being impregnated with the thermoplastic material to secure the article of manufacture to the stocking and form thereof an integrated structure, each complemental part of dimensions to extend below the garter line of the stocking to which the article of manufacture is to be applied and the straps extending down from the edge thereof on each side of the stocking.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a relatively narrow strip of material and a cementitious thermoplastic material coated on one face thereof, said thermoplastic material normally non-cementitious and rendered cementitious upon the application of a hot iron to the other face of the strip of material, said strip of material to be folded at the center thereof upon itself with the garter web of a stocking therebetween to provide complemental parts on the outside and inside of the stocking, each complemental part having a plurality of spaced openings positioned below the center and above the ends of the strip, an opening in each complemental part brought into registration with an opening in the other complemental part upon holding the strip at the center thereof with the garter Web therebetween,

the cementitious thermoplastic material impregnating the stocking surrounding the openings upon applying the article of manufacture to the stocking by means of a hot iron applied to the other face of the article of manufacture to integrate the strip and the stocking of the material of the stocking exposed through the aligned openings of the strip of material.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of cementitious material, said material being normally non-cementitious and rendered cementitious upon the application of a hot iron thereto, said strip to be folded about itself at an edge of an article of apparel to form two complemental parts with the article of apparel therebetween, said strip having openings spaced therein from below the fold to above the ends of the strip, openings in one part aligned with openings in the other part upon folding the strip about itself with the article of apparel therebetween, material of the article of apparel being exposed through the openings and said strip affixed to the article of apparel by impregnating it therewith by means of a hot iron.

MAX KATZENSTEIN. 

